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Watson, the IBM computer that took on and beat two of Jeopardy's greatest players last month, lost a round of the game show yesterday to a surprising opponent: a US congressman. Rush Holt, a New Jersey Democrat, won $8,600 to the machine's $6,200 in the first round of several matches against congressmen. Holt, who has a doctorate in physics, knew what it was like to win: He was a five-time Jeopardy champ back in the 1970s, notes AP.

"I jumped at the chance to do this, not only because it would be fun, but as a way to highlight our national need to invest in research and science education," says Holt. "It's something I've been talking about for decades."